Bay Leaves

Herbs and spices have been used for healing and I find it interesting to learn that an herb is more than something to flavor a dish. Bay leaves are usually something that is used in stews and sauces. I can still hear Mom saying don’t eat it, always cautioning that bay leaves should not be eaten. So here is the good and cautions regarding Bay Leaves.

One can buy fresh bay leaves and freeze them. The leaves will stay good for years. Bay Leaves are also available dried. Fresh is usually better but I believe that dried can be beneficial also.

Health Benefits:

• Improves digestion
• Perfect for insomnia
• Promotes a healthy heart
• Reduces stress
• Helps in treating diabetes
• Fights cancer
• Potent pain reliever
• Strengthens the immune system

More details Here:
How To Properly Make The Bay Leaf Tea

Bay Leaf Tea:
3 large West Indian bay leaves
3 cups of water
1.5-2 cups of milk (optional)
1-2 tsp honey/sugar (if desired)

Instructions
To make bay leaf tea, add 3 large West Indian bay leaves to a saucepan of water (fresh leaves).
Bring the water to a boil. Allow the tea to boil for 5 minutes, and then turn off the heat.
Let the bay leaves steep for an additional 3 minutes.
Strain out the bay leaves and serve the tea hot.
If you're adding a natural sweetener or milk, do so in moderation, as the flavor is quite delicate.


Please note there are some heavy cautions with consuming Bay Leaf tea.
Major Interaction-not take this combination!

Medications for pain (Narcotic drugs) interacts with BAY LEAF
The body breaks down some medications for pain to get rid of them. Sweet bay might decrease how fast the body gets rid of some medications for pain. By decreasing how fast the body gets rid of some medications for pain, sweet bay might increase the effects and side effects of some medications for pain.

Some medications for pain include meperidine (Demerol), hydrocodone, morphine, OxyContin, and many others.

Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with BAY LEAF
Sweet bay might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking sweet bay along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.

Some sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), lorazepam (Ativan), phenobarbital (Donnatal), zolpidem (Ambien), and others.

Bay Leaf: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning

There is also a caution for diabetes and pre-surgery usage. See link above.

So why Bay leaves? Because they give us vitamins and minerals that our body needs. But bay leaves can also be a Preppers go to for food storage.

In this thread @marlas1too mentioned that she always stores foods with a bay leaf because it kills the microbes. 2 Liter bottles Very true. Bay leaves repel insects but also helps protect food storage:

Although we cannot offer scientific proof, we can confirm that our grains have been virtually pest-free ever since we started slipping bay leaves into canisters, cupboards, and boxes. We change them out every few months or once they lose their pungency. We’ve never had an issue with the leaves affecting the flavor of dry goods; however, if this is a concern, one could affix the leaf to the inside of the lid rather than placing it directly in the food.
https://www.thekitchn.com/tips-bay-leaves-in-the-pantry-69557

 

At one time I owned a farm where bay trees were prevalent [Umbellularia californica]. But there was no local market for the leaves. A couple of times I have made the trip back there again to visit, and each time I have thought about loading up a big grocery bag full of the leaves, But I have never done it. Where I live today has no natural local bay tree, and I am a vender in roadside Farmer's Markets, I try to sell an assortment of herbs, I am pretty sure there is no market for bay leaves around here.

 

Most people do not know how useful herbs are. I love that bay leaves can be frozen and also used with preps. IMO that puts them on the must have list.

 

I have heard that the leaf skeletons of dried bay leaves can be sharp enough at their tip to puncture a person's intestines.

That would be a Bad Thing.

Many cooks recommend removing intact bay leaves after cooking, or just using powdered bay leaves instead.

 

That is a lot of info on Bay leaves. Never would've thunk it .
You should post more of this,, maybe make a list of all of them. Thanks.

 

Good stuff, thanks for posting.

Bay leaves make the stew...

 

try lightly steaming fresh leaves and then rest for about 30 min.with the leaves on forehead for headache

 

Bay leaves - a hidden secret (or buried by Big Pharm)

Abstract
Bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) is a perennial shrub belongs to the family laurel (Lauraceae). It has been cultivated throughout the European, tropical, subtropical, and Asian countries. It has been used for thousands of years for food flavoring, essential oil applications, and in traditional medicine.

Mostly, it contains tannins, flavones, flavonoids, alkaloids, eugenol, linalool, methyl chavicol, and anthocyanins. The extent of each of these chemical constituents varies depending on the type of species or cultivars as well as cultivation conditions such as soil type, weather, irrigation, pruning, and other horticultural practices. Bay is an essential component of several industrial applications that range from food to cosmetics to pharmaceutical products.

Bay leaf has many biologic activities such as wound healing activity, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, antiviral activity, immunostimulant activity, anticholinergic activity, antifungal activity, insect repellant activity, anticonvulsant activity, antimutagenic activity, and analgesic and antiinflammatory activity.

Source and full article - Bay Leaf (your tax dollars at work)

 

great post! Bay leaves good for digestion, stomach issues and a whole host of internal issues. dont use more than one leaf per cup of water or it getts too bitter.

also be careful if you are using drugs for high cholesterol.